Listen to this lesson (2:22)
[audio:http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/authorcartel/Rule%201.9%20-%20share%20with%20friends.mp3]In the last few lessons, you learned publishing doesn’t have to be extravagant. It could look like sharing your story with a few friends or even reading it to your kids. To me, this is “sharing small,” and before you can be entrusted to share big, you need to show you can be faithful with sharing small.
That’s why in this exercise, you’re going to share your story with just your closest friends or family.
Your Assignment
Write a story specifically for someone you care about. Perhaps they are the main character, or perhaps the character is simply someone they would particularly enjoy.
Your story can be any length you want, but for now, shorter is probably better.
When you write your story, remember the suggestions from the previous exercise (make your protagonist wants something, write in one sitting, do three drafts, read out loud, don’t be perfect).
After you write your story, share it with the person or people you wrote it for. You might:
- Print it and deliver it by hand
- Email it to them
- Read it to them out loud (this is my favorite)
You can also share your story with us in the forums to get feedback on it. If you do share it in the forums, be sure to critique three stories by other Cartelistas.
Remember, this should be a finished piece, with no grammar or spelling errors. If someone does point out your errors, say thank you!
To recap, your assignment is to:
- Write a story for someone you care about.
- Share your story with the person or people you wrote it for.
- Share your story in the forums.
- Critique three stories by other writers (remember: say two things you liked, one thing you didn’t).
Have fun and happy writing!
Ready to move on to the next lesson? Click here.
The problem is, stories don’t always want to behave the way you want them to. I started out with a very specific idea, and it changed into something very different. Tomorrow I’ll know if they liked it anyway…
And?
They loved it, and it got good reviews here too…
I wrote something for a friend who loves romantic stories with magic and witches. I posted it on my blog. As Mirelba commented, It didn’t quite turn out the way I expected. Instead of a short, self-contained piece, it is the start of a novela. I’ve written the first draft of chapter 2, and am excited to go onward to chapter 3. Oops! I’m going to have to try something different for this exercise.
Wow! That’s awesome. Do you have a link to your post?
annstanleywriting.wordpress.com
I’d love to have you read it. The person I wrote it for went out of town on a job interview and hasn’t actually read it yet. I didn’t realize she was leaving for an entire week. I’m going to attempt setting up a page where I can serialize the story, rather than just have it on my rolling blog.
It’s great, Ann. Is your friend the redhead?
Interesting idea about serializing. Are you going to use a service?
Honestly, Joe, I was just going to put it up on my wordpress.com account. I don’t know anything about the services you’re hinting at.
That’s great, Ann! Actually, had the same thing happen with a piece I did for my writing class, that evolved into the start of a novel. Of course, in the second chapter, one of the other characters took over center stage and slowly but surely turned into the heroine, so that now I have to rewrite the beginning…Would love to read your magic and witches novela… So as Joe asked: where’s the link?
I wrote a story for my kids (teenagers). My son focused on the ONE flaw that the girl character had (she represented my daughter). My daughter decided the story was predictable, much like my “lectures.” My hope is that some day, years from now, they will look back at the story and see it for what it really is: a mother trying to teach her children values, but most importantly, her proclamation of love. In reality, I’m guessing neither of them will even keep it. They thought it was weird that I wrote it. It’s nothing like my usual fiction.
Well… I guess it’s good that we talked about how sometimes things don’t work. Still, I bet they’ll remember it. I thought my dad’s novel was dumb while he wrote it when I was a teenager, but the fact that he modeled writing for me is one of the reasons I think I became a writer. And now I’m helping him edit it. Oh teenagers.
Teenagers, indeed. I’ll count myself lucky that they’re fascinated with my (as my daughter put it) regular stuff. She’s already done a report at school on a short story I wrote, and they both ask me constantly about the two novels I’ve sent off. Maybe the homework assignment just hit too close to home.
I wrote a story for this group, based on a prompt from thewritepractice, about nothing I knew. It got a ton of interest! Weird. Write what you don’t know?
Clicked too quickly… So, everyone asked for more. I wrote more. Only 1 comment! What happened?
I’ve a feeling it’s because I started writing for an audience and not for myself. For me, it works better if I write as if the characters are leading, and then edit right at the very end for an audience. This exercise seems to be telling me that writing for the reader causes the words to be more contrived and less truthful. I don’t know, I’ll wait and see what other comments I get.
Yes, I agree about your comment, “Write for yourself (or really, for the story itself). Rewrite for your reader.” I also think it may have been just as much a fluke that you didn’t get comments on The Write Practice.
I wrote a story (more like a letter) to my husband. I just read it to him and we were both crying.
Wow! Crying in a good way, I hope. That’s so great, Joan.
Yes, in a good way. The story was hard to write – it was a chapter of our lives we wouldn’t have chosen, but are grateful for the outcome. I just posted it in the forums.
I ended up writing a story for a good friend who moved away, but shouldn’t share it because the entire story is one giant inside joke from our university years. Choice excerpts include diving into cream cheese, curing cancer with a high five and descending from the clouds in a bed sheet.
My finacée read it and just shook her head at me.
Anyway, he loved it! He called me afterwards and we had a good laugh about some of the dialogue I wrote (every single piece of dialogue was something we had said about each other).
Thanks for the exercise Joe!
That sounds Amazing!
I wrote a story for (and about) my 6 year old and 2 year old. It was a short story about them being ninjas fighting some pirates, and then ending up friends. They both enjoyed the story a lot. My 6yo giggled every time I read his name, and both said they loved it and want more. This may end up being a series!
Awesome!
I wrote a short story called The Wave for a friend who likes “end of world” and survival stories as much as I do.
Not only did I share it with him, I posted it to my blog and shared it with all my family and friends.
http://www.1000words…story-the-wave/
Something to think about for the class:
Do you like feedback on your story? I know I love getting feedback. Honestly, as if you couldn’t tell, I love giving feedback.
As a class, we don’t have to settle for three story critiques. If you would like to double the feedback you get, double the feedback you give.
A minimalist will always be minimal. This course is what you make it.
That’s funny, James (not funny haha but funny bizarre). On reading about the three critiques, I was thinking about how you’d respond. And there it was, at the bottom of the page!
I’m definitely going to critique more, and not necessarily because I want to receive more feedback, although that would be a bonus. I’d like to read more simply for the joy of being able to access so many unique and unpublished stories.
I’m off to write my story now!
I read your mind, see, I’m pretty good!
I love reading people’s stories. I love inspiring them to keep going. I love inspiring them to better themselves.
I just wish I had more time and was faster at it! I read and critique like a turtle!
I have that problem with critiquing too.
I’m posting my story either tomorrow or Sunday, when I’ve got time, and won’t rush the critiques.
I’m going to work now. It’s fishy friday. I don’t get home ’til 10 pm GMT. I’m training up a new person as well. Yipee!
What was your line of work? I don’t remember. I think you’ve told me. My mind reading isn’t working today. 😛
I just did a job interview yesterday. The company sounds more stable. All the companies I’ve done programming for have tried to work on BIG projects, were managed poorly, and have eventually toppled over.
This job would be more fulfilling, but not quite as good on scheduling or flexibility, or perks. Same pay. Hard decisions!
You had an interview? Fingers crossed for you! Let me know how you get on.
I’m training to be a Fish Skills Expert for a major chain of supermarkets. I also have intermediate skills in butchery and on the delicatessen. It’s not something I ever planned to do, but the job is interesting and varied. One thing I enjoy doing is dealing with the general public. There’s a strong community feel, and plenty of opportunities to build rapport with customers. I guess you could call it research 😉
Yep. It is actually a pay cut by $5/hour but it seems far more stable and possibly a full time position as opposed to a contract position. They offered me the job the next morning after the supposedly 1 hour interview (2 hours) the night before. I took it. Sometimes money isn’t as important as stability.
It sounds like you make the best of it, which doesn’t surprise me at all. I’ve always seen you as one to give it her all.
Glad you got it. I think you’ve made a wise decision, choosing the stability of a permanent position over a temporary contract. I have a friend in the UK who recently made that decision, and he’s never been happier. He works in IT too.
Yes.
I love getting feedback. I’m finding it harder to give it in this venue, and I think that’s because I’m learning to think even more in terms of story, which is not my strength. (I tend to focus on making things beautiful, relatable, clear, and correct). So. I definitely have more to learn!
Feedback on your stories makes you a much better writer. It makes you look at it with fresh eyes. I’m a member of the Fellowship of Australian Writers. They are unforgiving in their critiquing of stores. At times, in the past, I felt like giving up after a session. However, I didn’t and here I am world.
I have a lot to learn.I enjoy reading posts,it helps me see outside my square.Seeing James post automatically makes me want to go read his stuffas he is a giver.
This time around, the person I wrote the story for liked it! Yippee!!! I still think that it’s harder to target a single person, and harder to write for friends and loved ones that for the anonymous crowd.
Also, I just have to comment on the amazing quality of the writers here. I am enjoying the stories immensely.
I wrote a story and the person I wrote it for liked it. Actually, it is going to be a children’s book and she is going to illustrate it. So it was important that she liked it.